Mumbai, 6 October, 2020: With its flagship BSI Campaign, Health and Hygiene Company Reckitt Benckiser (RB) has pledged to double its social investment from £10 to £20 million to promote hygiene and health practices in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Supported by Campaign Ambassador, Amitabh Bachchan, this year the campaign is committed to encourage the Indian population to adhere to self-care practices as a driver of change for a safer tomorrow.
In alignment with the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) initiated by the PM’s Digital India movement, RB BSI will catalyse robust reforms towards enhancing health and hygiene to the last mile in the next few years, claims the company.
The campaign initiatives will focus on propagating better health practices, proper sanitation and adequate nutrition while protecting the environment through sustainable methods.
Last year, the campaign transitioned from ‘Swachh to Swasth.’ The health-oriented focus of this campaign was nutrition for mother and child. With the advent of COVID-19, this year, the focus is on the three pillars: health, hygiene & environment that can together keep the world safe, it said.
CEO of RB, Laxman Narasimhan said, "COVID-19 has triggered the much-needed government focus on healthcare infrastructure development. It is evident that the pandemic will bring a paradigm shift in not only the way health & hygiene will be practiced, but the way it is envisioned- by the government, the industry as well as the community at large. To encourage self-care health & hygiene practices, we are launching, healthily app for the Indian population. "
As part of behaviour change communication Initiatives, BSI plans to double the outreach of Dettol Hygiene School Programme will train over 5 million school teachers with a conscious focus on the ‘role of Hygiene and COVID-19 preparedness’.
Dettol Hygiene impact bond is another programme through which the company plans to reduce cases of diarrhea amongst 2.5 million children in Uttar Pradesh in the next 3 years. It also has the Nutrition Impact Bond; the programme in the next four years aims to reach 1,77,000 mothers of undernourished children across 1,000 villages with a target of 40% reduction in the number of children under five who are stunted, and to reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%.
